Join Kanna, Kanta, Yamane, and Gloria in The Manga Guide to the Universe as they explore our solar system, the Milky Way, and faraway galaxies in search of the universe’s greatest mysteries: dark matter, cosmic expansion, and the Big Bang itself.

As you rocket across the night sky, you’ll become acquainted with modern astronomy and astrophysics, as well as the classical discoveries and theories on which they’re built. You’ll even learn why some scientists believe finding extraterrestrial life is inevitable!

You’ll also learn about:

Discoveries made by Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Hubble, and other seminal astronomers

Theories of the universe’s origins, evolution, and geometry

The ways you can measure and observe heavenly bodies with different telescopes, and how astronomers calculate distances in space

Stellar classifications and how the temperature, size, and magnitude of a star are related

Cosmic background radiation, what the WMAP satellite discovered, and scientists’ predictions for the future of the universe

So dust off your flight suit and take a fantastic voyage through the cosmos in The Manga Guide to the Universe.

Author Bio

Kenji Ishikawa is a scientific and technical journalist. He was born in Tokyo in 1958. After graduating from the Faculty of Science at the Tokyo University of Science, he worked as a journalist and later as a freelance editor and writer. Besides writing novels and various columns, he has written technical commentaries for general readers and conducted numerous interviews with leading engineers and researchers.

Table of contents

PrefacePrologue: A Tale that Begins on the MoonChapter 1: Is Earth the Center of the Universe?Chapter 2: From the Solar System to the Milky WayChapter 3: The Universe Was Born with a Big BangChapter 4: What Is It Like at the Edge of the Universe?Chapter 5: Our Ever-Expanding UniverseIndex

"The series is consistently good. A great way to introduce kids to the wonder and vastness of the cosmos."
—Jennifer Ouellette, Discovery News (Read More)

"How this fiction and the science of astronomy are interwoven is the genius of this presentation...The series consistently does this juggling act well, in each instance giving readers the equivalent of team teaching."
—Francisca Goldsmith, School Library Journal (Read More)

"The Manga Guide to the Universe does an excellent job of addressing some of the biggest science questions out there, exploring both the history of cosmology and the main riddles that still challenge physicists today."
—About.com (Read More)

"The latest volume in the Manga Guide series tackles the biggest subject yet. The result is the best Manga Guide so far."
—Comics Worth Reading (Read More)

"Of all the books in the Manga Guide series, this one has to be my favorite."
—AstroNerdBoy's Anime & Manga Blog (Read More)

"The very best of the manga guide series so far!"
—Active Anime (Read More)

"One of the best yet in the series (which is saying a lot)."
—SeattlePi (Read More)

"All teachers should be aware of this series of books, and if it's their subject, they should keep a couple copies to lend out (or make it required reading). It's that helpful!"
—Sequential Tart (Read More)

"The universe is a fascinating place, that inspires awe and wonder. And while The Manga Guide to the Universe does its best to explain it all, it never loses that wonder."
—Manga Xanadu (Read More)

"You don't have to be a media-distracted, reading-resistant kid to enjoy, be challenged by, and learn from The Manga Guide to the Universe. Books like this can reach, teach and entertain students and casual readers of almost all ages."
—Books, Books & More (New) Books (Read More)

Updates

Page 90
In the final sentence of the last paragraph, "(-382°F, or -280°C)" should read "(-382°F, or -230°C)".

Page 122
In the final sentence of the last paragraph, "nearly 12.88 million light-years from Earth" should read "nearly 12.88 billion light-years from Earth."